The dust is still settling after the surprising results of the 2025 Arnold Classic. On March 4, 2025, bodybuilding veterans Jay Cutler and Milos Sarcev discussed Derek Lunsford’s big win over Samson Dauda. In addition, they revealed where both athletes could improve heading into the next Mr. Olympia.
There were a handful of question marks surrounding Lunsford ahead of the 2025 Arnold Classic. The bodybuilding community was curious how he would fare against Dauda after teaming up with coach Chris Aceto. Moreover, speculation stirred as to whether Lunsford would improve his legs enough to stand a shot at earning gold.
Unlike the 2024 Mr. Olympia, when he took third place, Lunsford’s legs did not hold him back onstage. He dominated the prejudging rounds and defeated Dauda by four points on the official scorecards. With newfound momentum and hype, Cutler and Sarcev discussed what lies ahead for him in the Open division.
Jay Cutler, Milos Sarcev on Derek Lunsford’s 2025 Arnold Classic Win: “I Did Not Expect Him to Look So Complete”
In a recent YouTube video, Cutler expressed admiration for Lunsford’s climb back to the top of the Open. He believes Lunsford showed up at his all-time best in Ohio.
“I love the story of Derek. So I had this favoritism towards Derek, and this is – I think Samson is phenomenal. I think he’s the best bodybuilder in the world.
So in a sense, here I am saying that I was rooting for Derek but at the same time, I wasn’t rooting against Samson because I think Samson has the best body, but he just… I don’t know what it is. It’s just something, he just needs to bring it in a certain level and circumstance, Derek just showed up at his all-time best.”
Sarcev said Lunsford proved him wrong and was blown away by the rapid leg improvements he made post-Olympia.
“I told Derek when I saw him, you were right there. He impressed the hell out of me, and he shut my mouth big time,” Sarcev shared. “He proved me wrong. I didn’t see it that he was actually pound for pound that thick and big.”
“He looked big for that frame, which is one thing that I didn’t consider him. Another thing is I didn’t see those legs for quite some time. Pretty much every time he competed, the legs were not there, which throws off the balance.”
Sarcev was surprised at how complete and powerful Lunsford looked.
“I didn’t expect him to look so complete, so powerful.”
Cutler argued that Lunsford is in a tricky position because his wide shoulder-to-waist ratio magnifies any imbalance—if his legs are off, it disrupts the flow of his physique
“If Samson who does the front lat spread, the legs are really round where Derek he still needs to get a little bit more in it. It’s a lot shorter leg, but at the same time you notice when he does a lot of shots he spikes one leg out, yes to show the detail but I still feel like sometimes his upper body is so damn wide and big, he’s got craziest shoulder-to-waist ratio on that stage,” explains Cutler.
“That is going to hinder him no matter how big the legs are. It’s almost like, do you downsize the upper body the width a little bit or do you expand the legs? For him to do that in 15 weeks, when you have to do cardio, he told me the last six weeks were hell for him.”
Cutler’s advice to Samson Dauda: bring more back size and detail.
“He [Samson Dauda] still needs some more back on there. Compared to these front doubles, both those guys have more width than him. The torso when he lifts the arms, he loses a lot of that torso strength,” adds Cutler.
Lunsford’s shock victory over the reigning Mr. Olympia sets the table for an unforgettable showdown. Dauda plans to finally take a much-needed break from contests. Lunsford, meanwhile, has yet to lay out future contest plans, but most are betting he’ll hold out to regain the Sandow trophy when the biggest event in bodybuilding returns from October 9-12 in Las Vegas.
Watch the full video from the CutlerCast YouTube channel below:
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
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